Suarez favourite for PFA award

26 April 2014 03:31

Luis Suarez is the big favourite to walk away with the PFA Player of the Year award on Sunday night.

The Uruguayan is one of three Liverpool players nominated for the prestigious award, which will be announced at a glittering ceremony in central London.

Suarez was beaten to the award by Gareth Bale last term, but there seems little doubt the 27-year-old Liverpool striker will clinch the award this year.

Suarez has been the driving force behind Liverpool's title assault this term, scoring 30 goals despite missing the first six games of the campaign as part of his punishment for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic.

It was that moment of madness which caused Suarez to mature and realise he must cut out his indiscipline in order to become a top player, according to his manager Brendan Rodgers.

"He is a brilliant talent. I think the supporters have seen him mature over the course of the last season," Rodgers said.

"I think he was in a real low moment after that game (against Chelsea last year), but he has gone away and probably looked in the mirror and reflected on himself because he is not that type of guy and it probably just spilled over.

"He is a really intelligent man who fits the values of this club, which is all about humility, class, and he has all of that.

"He is a sheer winner and that probably overspilled last year, but his development over the last year has been remarkable both on and off the field, and Liverpool have benefited from that.

"For me he is the consistently outstanding player over the course of the last year."

Should Suarez win the award, he will have plenty of reason to thank his team-mates for their help.

Steven Gerrard and Daniel Sturridge, also nominated, have played a big part in turning Liverpool from a seventh place team into title favourites.

All three are expected to make the dash from Liverpool to London for the ceremony following the Reds' crunch clash against Chelsea.

That will also be the case for nominee Eden Hazard - the outstanding individual performer in what has mostly been a collective push for the title from the west London club.

Manchester City's Yaya Toure, who has scored 22 goals this year, and Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana are also in the running for the award, which will be announced late on Sunday night.

Liverpool could end up with a double-success from the evening as Raheem Sterling and Sturridge are also nominated for the Young Player of the Year Award.

The Women's Player of the Year and Women's Young Player of the Year awards will also be announced at the ceremony.